Administrative overview · FIPS 02170
Matanuska-Susitna Borough County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Development Services / Permit Center and Fire & Life Safety Division (Central Mat-Su Fire Service Area)
For a project in or near Matanuska-Susitna Borough, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
907-861-7822 (Permit Center); 907-861-8383 (Fire Code Office)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Main Building, 350 E. Dahlia Avenue, Palmer, AK 99645; Central Mat-Su Fire Code Office, Station 51, 1911 S. Terrace Court, Palmer, AK 99645.
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM for the main Borough building; Fire Code office hours were not separately stated.
Review expectation
The Borough’s goal is to respond within three weeks when the submittal is complete; Fire & Life Safety plan review is usually completed within approximately three weeks, subject to corrections or additional information.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Development Services / Permit Center and Fire & Life Safety Division (Central Mat-Su Fire Service Area) is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 907-861-7822 (Permit Center); 907-861-8383 (Fire Code Office).
How long might review take?
The Borough’s goal is to respond within three weeks when the submittal is complete; Fire & Life Safety plan review is usually completed within approximately three weeks, subject to corrections or additional information.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit through the MSB permit portal, pay the invoiced plan-review fee, and post the approval certificate as required. When work is complete and ready to open to the public, schedule the final inspection with the Fire Code Office at 907-861-8383 or FireCode@matsugov.us. Central Mat-Su conducts fire/life-safety inspections and commercial annual inspections in its service area; private residences are not subject to routine fire-department inspections.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Alaska Title 13, Chapters 50-55 and MSB materials identify the current 2021 code cycle: 2021 International Building Code, International Fire Code, International Mechanical Code and International Existing Building Code, with Alaska amendments. The State of Alaska and MSB have not adopted the International Residential Code. Fire/life-safety review is delegated to Central Mat-Su Fire Service Area within its service area; Palmer, Wasilla, Houston and other authorities may impose additional requirements. Residential housing that is a triplex or smaller is exempt from the state/MSB fire-and-life-safety plan-review requirement. Other Borough permits can still apply, including mandatory land-use permits for structures within 75 feet of a waterbody outside Palmer, Wasilla and Houston, floodplain permits, driveway/ROW permits, multifamily permits and conditional-use permits. A state or local exemption does not eliminate requirements of another authority.